Abstract

In this thesis, I propose to explain how it is that the life and work of John Keats assists us in answering the question of how we create ourselves through the presence of others. I aim to do this through an analysis of the work that his relationship with Fanny Brawne inspired. In doing so, I hope to prove that romantic love creates a sort of metaphysical sanctuary for us to inhabit as we shift through the various incarnations of our identity throughout our lives. By synthesizing the theories of phenomenology and transgression, I hope to demonstrate how Keats’ rapid development as a poet was made possible through the sanctuary of acceptance that his love for Fanny Brawne afforded him. These concepts are divided into four sections. The first is a general overview of relevant definitions/terms as I understand and incorporate them. The second discusses how I perceive identity and its construction through influence. The third discusses Keats’ concept of Beauty as a philosophy of truth-making, and how that plays into identity formations. The last section explains how I see love as being necessary in perpetuating these new incarnations of self to occur due to the sanctuary of acceptance that it affords us.